More often
than not, the company's first impression of you comes in the form
of a resume, a simple piece of paper that includes your entire work
and educational history, typically on one to two pages. With such
limited space to convey such important information, it pays to make
sure you get it right the first time.

To meet this challenge, it's important to keep in mind 10 of the
most common resume mistakes. While avoiding these mistakes won't
automatically make you a shoo-in for the job of your choice, it
will make sure you are on the right track.

Mistake #1: Writing your resume to sound like a series of job
descriptions.
You need to give the reader an idea of what you have done throughout
your career, but instead of focusing on the duties you were responsible
for at your last jobs, list your accomplishments along with quantifiable
facts to back up your claims. Saying you were responsible for a
10 percent growth in overall sales is more impressive than simply
stating you managed a sales team.

Mistake #2: Writing in the first person.Your resume is not a personal correspondence, and should not
include words such as "I," "my," and "me." Save the first person
pronouns for your cover letter.

Mistake #3: Including unrelated and personal information. As mentioned above, you do not have much room in a resume, so
why take up valuable space with information unrelated to the position
you are seeking? Leave the details about your personal life, marital
status, hobbies and other interests on the cutting room floor.

Mistake #4: Using passive language or no action words. Your resume needs to make a bold, strong statement, and the
best way to do this is by utilizing action words to describe your
accomplishments. Words like "coordinated," "achieved," "managed,"
and "implemented" will spice up your resume and make it more interesting
and relevant to the reader.

Mistake #5:Repetition. While using action words is important, it is also key to make
sure you have variety in your resume. Don't pick a couple of words
and stick with them throughout the entire document. Utilize a thesaurus,
career advice Web sites and other sources if you are having problems
coming up with new ways to say the same thing.

Mistake #6: Poor formatting or formatting that is too flashy.
While the most important part of your resume is the content, there
is no question that the document's overall look and feel is also
important. By now, you should be comfortable enough with a word
processing program to create a clean, polished-looking document.
Use consistent formatting for headings and bullet points. In the
same respect, steer clear of flashy formatting or overly creative
resumes with unconventional fonts or graphics, unless you are seeking
a highly creative position. Keep your resume simple, bold and professional.

Mistake #7: Sending a resume without a cover letter.
One of the worst things you can do is send a great resume without
an official introduction. Resumes and cover letters should be inseparable.
Make sure you don't give up your chance to really sell yourself
with a cover letter.

Mistake #8: Sending an unfocused or generic resume. While your work experience doesn't change depending on the job
or industry you are targeting, your resume certainly should. If
you are seeking a sales-related position, your resume will include
details that are different from those that would be included in
a resume for a management job. Make sure you write to what you are
seeking and make it easy for the reader to see why you are a good
fit.

Mistake #9: Including typos and other spelling or grammatical
errors.Before you send out your resume, make sure you have proofread
it several times. Many hiring managers will automatically throw
away a resume that has typos or other errors.

Mistake #10: Sending your resume to a nameless, faceless person.
Want your resume to get thrown out with the recycling bin? Just
send it to the company's "Hiring Manager," or "To Whom It May Concern."
Do yourself a big favor and take the time to find a real person
at the company who is responsible for hiring in the department you
are targeting. This is often the first and most helpful step to
getting your foot in the door.